Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Editorial
. 2019 Feb 4;5(1):6-18.
doi: 10.2478/jccm-2019-0003. eCollection 2019 Jan.

Critical Care Aspects of Gallstone Disease

Piero Portincasa  1 , Emilio Molina-Molina  1 , Gabriella Garruti  2 , David Q-H Wang  3
Affiliations
Editorial

Critical Care Aspects of Gallstone Disease

Piero Portincasa et al. J Crit Care Med (Targu Mures). .

Abstract

Approximately twenty per cent of adults have gallstones making it one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal diseases in Western countries. About twenty per cent of gallstone patients requires medical, endoscopic, or surgical therapies such as cholecystectomy due to the onset of gallstone-related symptoms or gallstone-related complications. Thus, patients with symptomatic, uncomplicated or complicated gallstones, regardless of the type of stones, represent one of the largest patient categories admitted to European hospitals. This review deals with the important critical care aspects associated with a gallstone-related disease.

Keywords: CT scan; ERCP; MRCP; bile; biliary colic; biliary secretion; cholecystectomy; cholecystitis; choledocholithiasis; cholesterol crystallization.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest None to declare

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Human gallbladder stones. Pure cholesterol stones with spherical shape and morular surface (a), oval shape and smooth surface (b), multiple stones (c). The cut surface is shown with a brownish centre and radial disposition of cholesterol monohydrate crystals (d). Pure pigment stones are shown as debris (e). Mixed stones are shown as multifaceted concernments (f). Note that the black pigment surface and the inner centre are made of a small amount of solid cholesterol crystals (arrow) Black horizontal line=1 cm.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Algorithm of the management of acute cholecystitis
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Definition of severity of acute cholangitis.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Factors predisposing to acute acalculous cholecystitis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Portincasa P, Moschetta A, Palasciano G.. Cholesterol gallstone disease. Lancet. 2006;368:230–9. - PubMed
    1. Shabanzadeh DM. Incidence of gallstone disease and complications. Curr Opin Gastroenterol. 2018;34:81–9. - PubMed
    1. Farthing M, Roberts SE, Samuel DG. Survey of digestive health across Europe: Final report. Part 1: The burden of gastrointestinal diseases and the organisation and delivery of gastroenterology services across Europe. United European Gastroenterol J. 2014;2:539–43. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Attili AF, Carulli N, Roda E. Epidemiology of gallstone disease in Italy: prevalence data of the Multicenter Italian Study on Cholelithiasis (M.I.COL.) Am J Epidemiol. 1995;141:158–65. - PubMed
    1. Diehl AK. Epidemiology and natural history of gallstone disease. Gastroenterol Clin North Am. 1991;20:1–19. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources